Ranpirnase Exhibits Anti-Zika Activity

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Tamir Biotechnology, a clinical stage company developing ranpirnase as a novel broad-spectrum anti-viral, announced results today from a pre-clinical investigational study at the Institute of Antiviral Research at Utah State University. The study evaluated the anti-viral activity of ranpirnase in an established cell model of Zika virus infection. Overall, the study revealed that ranpirnase was active in blocking Zika virus relative to a control. In previous cell based studies, ranpirnase exhibited no cytotoxic effects at therapeutically effective dose levels.

"We are very pleased to see that ranpirnase demonstrated strong antiviral activity against Zika in this established model," noted Tom Hodge, PhD, Director of Antiviral Research at Tamir. Added Dr. Hodge, "We look forward to rapidly bringing ranpirnase to treat Zika infected patients into clinical phases."

The clinical work with the Zika virus builds on years of work with other virally-caused pathologies such as Ebola. Results from a recent NIH-sponsored study on the Ebola virus gave 100% survival in ranpirnase-treated animals administered with therapeutic levels of the drug post-infection. The virus was undetectable in the serum of ranpirnase-treated mice at eight days post-infection.

Tamir's clinical program is led by their phase II investigation of a topical formulation of ranpirnase in the treatment of HPV genital warts. This study is expected to begin enrollment in South America in February 2016. There are an estimated 14 million new and recurrent HPV infections per year in the US alone and the global HPV market is estimated to be over $US2B in 2020. Ranpirnase for injection has been safely administered to over 1,000 subjects in previous oncology clinical trials.

Tamir is a clinical stage anti-viral therapeutics company engaged in the development of a new class of prophylactic and therapeutic drugs for the treatment of viral infections and other virally-caused pathologies. Tamir's current target is the human papilloma virus (HPV), the worldwide leading cause of genital warts. Tamir is also targeting the acute treatment of the Ebola (EBV), Zika, and Dengue viruses.